Last updated: 16 June 2026 · RACC Migration & Education Services

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What Are the Requirements for a 482 Visa?

The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) has 13 requirements. You must meet all of them before a visa can be granted. Your employer must also meet separate sponsorship obligations before you can apply.

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This page covers every requirement in full. For an overview of what the 482 visa is, how the three streams work, and PR pathways, see the 482 Visa Australia complete guide.

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Source: Department of Home Affairs — Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)

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Which Stream Am I In?

Your stream determines which occupation list and salary threshold applies to you. Answer two questions before checking requirements below.

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Step 1 — What is your salary offer?

If it is AUD 141,210 or above, you may be in the Specialist Skills stream. Go to Requirement 2 to confirm your occupation qualifies.

If it is below AUD 141,210, move to Step 2.

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Step 2 — Is your occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List?

If yes, you are in the Core Skills stream.

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If no, you may need a Labour Agreement. Speak to a Registered Migration Agent before proceeding — book a consultation with RACC (MARN1572962, MARN1172003).

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Full Requirements 482 Visa

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Requirement 1: Employer Sponsorship

Your employer must nominate you before you can apply.

What your employer must do:

• Be an approved Standard Business Sponsor (SBS), or have applied to become one

• Lodge a nomination for the specific position you will fill

• Show the position is genuine

• Show the salary meets both the applicable income threshold and the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR)

• Complete Labour Market Testing where required (Core Skills stream)

Once the nomination is lodged, ask your employer for the Transaction Reference Number (TRN). You need it to submit your visa application.

Without an approved or lodged nomination, your visa application cannot proceed.

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Stream differences:

• Core Skills stream — employer must be an approved Standard Business Sponsor

• Specialist Skills stream — employer must be an approved Standard Business Sponsor

• Labour Agreement stream — employer must have an approved Labour Agreement with the Australian Government

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Requirement 2: Eligible Occupation

Your occupation must be eligible for the stream you apply under.

Core Skills stream: Your occupation must appear on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL). The CSOL covers 456 occupations across trades, healthcare, engineering, construction, and technology.

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Specialist Skills stream: Your occupation must fall within ANZSCO Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5, or 6. Most high-income professional and executive roles qualify. Trade occupations are excluded from this stream.

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Labour Agreement stream: Your occupation must be covered under your employer's specific Labour Agreement. There is no standard occupation list for this stream — eligibility depends entirely on the terms of the agreement.

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Once your visa is granted, you can only work in the occupation and business that your employer nominated you for.

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Requirement 3: Work Experience

You need at least 12 months of relevant work experience in your nominated occupation or a closely related field.

Rules for counting experience:

• Must be gained within the last 5 years before you apply

• Full-time, part-time, and casual work all count — part-time must total the equivalent of 12 months full-time

• The experience does not need to be continuous

• Experience from a Masters or PhD program may count for relevant occupations

• Formal clinical placements and accredited internships may count for relevant occupations

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What "closely related field" means: the work must involve skills and tasks that are substantially similar to the duties of your nominated occupation. A general background in the same industry is not sufficient.

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Labour Agreement stream: work experience requirements are set by the specific agreement, which may differ from the standard 12-month rule.

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For the separate question of how many hours you must work once your visa is granted, see our guide to 482 visa working hours and Condition 8607.

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Requirement 4: Salary

You must meet two salary conditions at the same time:

1. The Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) — you must be paid the same as an equivalent Australian worker in the same role and location

2. The applicable income threshold — the minimum floor for your stream

The higher of the two figures applies. If the market rate for your occupation and location exceeds the income threshold, you must be paid the market rate.

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Current thresholds (in force until 30 June 2026):

• Core Skills stream (CSIT): AUD 76,515 per year

• Specialist Skills stream (SSIT): AUD 141,210 per year

• Labour Agreement stream: as specified in the individual agreement

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From 1 July 2026:

• Core Skills stream (CSIT): AUD 79,423 per year

• Specialist Skills stream (SSIT): AUD 146,576 per year

Thresholds are indexed annually against Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings (AWOTE). Nominations lodged on or after 1 July 2026 must satisfy the new figures. These amounts generally exclude superannuation.

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If the nomination salary does not meet both conditions, the nomination will be refused. The visa cannot proceed without an approved nomination.

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For the full breakdown of how AMSR is assessed and what counts toward salary, see 482 Visa Salary Requirements 2026.

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Requirement 5: Skills Assessment (Where Required)

Some occupations require a mandatory skills assessment before you apply.

If your occupation is on the mandatory list:

• You must commence the assessment before you submit your visa application — the application is invalid without it

• Include your skills assessment reference number in the application

• The assessment must be undertaken or commenced within the 3 years before you apply

• Assessing authority: Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) or VETASSESS, depending on your occupation

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If your occupation is not on the mandatory list:

• You must still provide qualification certificates, a full CV covering the last 5 years, and employment references on company letterhead

• The Department of Home Affairs can request a skills assessment at any point during processing, even where none is mandatory

Check whether your occupation requires a mandatory assessment before you lodge. See Mandatory Skills Assessment for 482 Visa.

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Requirement 6: English Language

You must demonstrate a minimum standard of English proficiency unless an exemption applies.

Accepted tests and minimum scores (for tests taken on or after 13 September 2025):

• IELTS: 5.0 in each band (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking)

• PTE Academic: Listening 33, Reading 36, Writing 29, Speaking 24

• TOEFL iBT: Listening 8, Reading 8, Writing 9, Speaking 14

• OET: equivalent level accepted

• CELPIP: equivalent level accepted

• LANGUAGECERT Academic: equivalent level accepted

• MET: equivalent level accepted

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For tests taken on or before 12 September 2025:

• IELTS: 5.0 overall and 5.0 in each band

• PTE Academic: 36 overall and 36 in each component

• TOEFL iBT: 35 total and 4 per component

• OET: minimum B in each component

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Key rules:

• Test results must be no more than 3 years old at the time you apply

• Online (at-home) test results are not accepted

• From 13 September 2025, you can combine components from different accepted tests, provided all were completed within the 3 years before your application

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Exemptions — you do not need an English test if:

• You hold a passport from Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, or the Republic of Ireland

• You completed at least 5 years of full-time study at secondary or tertiary level where most classes were conducted in English

• Your nominated occupation will be performed at a diplomatic or consular mission of another country, or at the Office of the Authorities of Taiwan

If you hold one of the exempt passports, your citizenship alone satisfies the English requirement. No test results are needed.

For the full breakdown including Labour Agreement stream rules, see 482 Visa English Requirements.

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Requirement 7: Health Insurance

You must hold adequate health insurance for your entire stay in Australia.

• Cover must start from your visa grant date

• It must include medically necessary treatment and transport

• It must cover you and all secondary applicants included in your application

• This is a visa condition — failing to maintain it can affect your visa status

Some countries have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia. Check with Services Australia before your visa is granted to confirm whether this applies to you.

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Requirement 8: Health Examinations

You and all family members applying with you must meet the health requirement.

• Health examination results are generally valid for 12 months

• You can complete examinations before lodging your application or wait until the Department requests them

• Completing them before you apply reduces processing time

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Requirement 9: Character

You and all family members aged 16 or over must meet the character requirement.

• Provide an Australian Federal Police (AFP) certificate if you have spent 12 or more months in Australia in the last 10 years since turning 16

• Only AFP-issued National Police Certificates with complete disclosure are accepted — state or territory police certificates are not valid for this purpose

• Provide overseas police certificates from every country where you have spent 12 or more months in the last 10 years

Accredited sponsor exception: If your employer is an accredited sponsor, overseas police certificates (other than the AFP certificate) are not required. Your employer provides a reference confirming your good character instead.

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Requirement 10: Compliance with Previous Visa Conditions

If you are in Australia when a decision is made on your application, you must have substantially complied with the conditions of your last visa.

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Requirement 11: No Outstanding Debt to the Australian Government

Any outstanding debt to the Australian Government — from you or any family member included in your application — must be paid, or a repayment arrangement made, before the visa can be granted.

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Requirement 12: No Payment for Sponsorship

You must not have paid for, offered, or received any benefit in exchange for a sponsorship event in the last 3 years. The Minister may waive this in certain circumstances.

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Requirement 13: Australian Values Statement

If you are 18 or over, you must confirm you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws. You do this by signing an Australian Values Statement as part of your application.

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Document Checklist

Gather these before you lodge your application.

Identity:

• Current passport (photo page, personal details, issue and expiry dates)

• Proof of name change if applicable (marriage certificate, deed poll, or court order)

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Occupation and skills:

• Skills assessment reference number, if mandatory for your occupation

• Qualification certificates — professional and educational

• Registration or licensing documents, if required for your occupation

• CV covering the last 5 years — include your full employment history with start and end dates and positions held

• Employment references on company letterhead — each reference must include the referee's name, title, direct contact details, your position, and your dates of service

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English language:

• Valid English test results (not older than 3 years, not an online/at-home test)

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Health insurance:

• Evidence of adequate health insurance covering you and all secondary applicants

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Character:

• AFP National Police Certificate with complete disclosure, if 12+ months in Australia in the last 10 years

• Overseas police certificates for every country where you spent 12+ months in the last 10 years

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For your partner (if applying with you):

• Identity documents

• Character documents

• Marriage certificate or de facto relationship evidence — accepted forms include joint bank statements, a joint lease, or bills in joint names

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For dependants under 18:

• Passport or birth certificate

• Adoption papers if applicable

• Form 1229 or a statutory declaration of parental consent from any person with legal responsibility for the child who will not be travelling to Australia

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For dependants aged 18 and over:

• Identity documents

• Character documents

• Form 47a (Details of a dependent family member aged 18 or over)

• Evidence of financial dependency for at least 12 months

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All non-English documents must be translated into English. Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). Overseas translators do not need NAATI accreditation, but must include their name, address, qualifications, and experience on the translation.

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Subsequent Entrant Requirements

If your partner or dependent child was not included in your original 482 visa application, they can join you later as a subsequent entrant.

 

This is a separate application with its own requirements. To qualify as a subsequent entrant, your family member must:

• Be your partner or dependent child at the time of application

• Have your sponsor's agreement to be included in the sponsorship arrangement

• Hold a substantive visa if applying while in Australia

• Meet the health requirement

• Meet the character requirement Subsequent entrants do not need their own employer nomination.

 

They join your visa through your existing sponsorship, not a new one. This pathway is commonly used when a partner or child stays overseas while the primary applicant starts work in Australia, or when a relationship or family circumstance changes after the primary visa is granted.

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Common Reasons 482 Visa Applications Are Refused

• Salary does not meet the income threshold or the Annual Market Salary Rate

• Occupation is not on the eligible list for the nominated stream

• Work experience is under 12 months, outside the last 5 years, or not in a closely related field

• A mandatory skills assessment was not commenced before lodgement

• Employment references are missing letterhead, dates, or referee contact details

• Documents are missing, expired, or not translated by an accredited translator

• The employer's nomination was refused

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If You Lose Your Job

If you leave your sponsoring employer or lose your job, you have 180 days to find a new approved employer sponsor or make arrangements to leave Australia.

Your new employer must lodge a new nomination and you must apply for a new visa. Your new occupation must still be eligible under the relevant stream.

See Changing Employers on a 482 Visa.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the requirements for a 482 visa in Australia?

There are 13 requirements. You need an approved employer sponsor with a lodged nomination, an eligible occupation for your stream, at least 12 months of relevant work experience in the last 5 years, a salary meeting the income threshold and the Australian Market Salary Rate, valid English test results unless exempt, adequate health insurance, and clear health and character checks.

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How much work experience do I need for a 482 visa?

At least 12 months in the nominated occupation or a closely related field, gained within the last 5 years. Part-time and casual work counts if the total is equivalent to 12 months full-time. The experience does not need to be continuous.

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What is the minimum salary for a 482 visa in 2026?

Until 30 June 2026: AUD 76,515 for the Core Skills stream and AUD 141,210 for the Specialist Skills stream. From 1 July 2026: AUD 79,423 and AUD 146,576. You must also meet the Australian Market Salary Rate — whichever figure is higher applies.

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What English test score do I need for a 482 visa?

For tests taken on or after 13 September 2025: IELTS 5.0 in each band, or equivalent in PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, OET, CELPIP, LANGUAGECERT, or MET. Passport holders from the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, and Australia are exempt.

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Is there an age limit for the 482 visa?

No. There is no age limit for the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482).

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Can I include my family in a 482 visa application?

Yes. Your partner and dependent children can be included as secondary applicants. They must meet health and character requirements. You cannot add family members after you submit your application — they must apply separately as subsequent entrants.

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Do I need a skills assessment for a 482 visa?

It depends on your occupation. Where mandatory, you must commence the assessment before you lodge — the application is invalid without it. Where not mandatory, you still need to provide qualifications, a CV, and employment references.

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What happens if I lose my job on a 482 visa?

You have 180 days to find a new approved employer sponsor or make arrangements to leave Australia.

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Source

All requirements on this page are sourced from and verified against:

• Department of Home Affairs — Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)

• Department of Home Affairs — English proficiency (subclass 482)

• Department of Home Affairs — Salary requirements for nominations

Requirements are set by legislative instrument and may change. Verify current requirements at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before you lodge.

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Related Pages

• 482 Visa Australia — Overview, Streams, Salary & PR

• 482 Visa English Requirements

• 482 Visa Salary Requirements 2026

• 482 Visa Processing Times

• 482 Visa Costs and Fees

• 482 Core Skills Stream

• 482 Specialist Skills Stream

• 482 Labour Agreement Stream

• 482 Visa to Permanent Residency

• Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL)

• Mandatory Skills Assessment for 482 Visa

• Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)​​​​​​​